1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a terminal fitting.
2. Description of the Related Art
Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2002-15803 discloses a terminal fitting with front and rear ends. A rectangular tube is formed at the front end of the terminal fitting. A resilient contact piece is folded back at an angle from the front end of the bottom plate of the rectangular tube and is substantially surrounded by the rectangular tube. A male tab can be inserted into the rectangular tube and is held tightly between the tip of the resilient contact piece and the ceiling plate of the rectangular tube. The extending rear end of the resilient contact piece is supported on the bottom plate at front and rear points to ensure a sufficient contact pressure between the resilient contact piece and the male tab.
The above-described terminal fitting is formed continuously with front and rear angularly aligned leaf spring portions. The resilient contact piece is long along forward and backward directions and makes the rectangular tube long. As a result, the entire terminal fitting is large.
Consideration has been given to shortening the terminal fitting by folding the resilient contact piece into a substantially U-shape along its length. Thus, the two leaf spring portions could be arranged one over the other. However, such a construction causes an elevation difference between the two leaf spring portions due to the U-shaped fold. This leads to a problem of increasing the height of the rectangular tube and that of the entire terminal fitting.
The invention was developed in view of the above problems, and an object thereof is to miniaturize a terminal fitting in which a resilient contact piece is supported at two points in a rectangular tube.
The invention is directed to a terminal fitting with a resilient contact piece that can be brought resiliently into contact with a male tab. The resilient contact piece comprises a first leaf spring with a base end supported on a base plate. A folded portion is folded at the extending end of the first leaf spring toward the base plate. A second leaf spring extends from the folded portion substantially toward the base end of the first leaf spring and has the extending end held substantially in contact with the base plate at least during the resilient contact of the resilient contact piece with the male tab.
The first and second leaf springs of the resilient contact piece are folded at an acute angle to each other. The length of the resilient contact piece along forward and backward directions is shorter than that of a resilient contact piece in which two leaf springs meet at an angle greater than 90xc2x0. Further, the second leaf spring is between the first leaf spring portion and the base plate. However, the extending end of the first leaf spring and the base end of the second leaf spring are coupled via the folded portion. Thus, an elevation difference between the extending end of the first leaf spring and the base end of the second leaf spring is small as compared to a resilient contact piece in which two leaf springs are coupled via a substantially U-shape fold, and the height of the resilient contact piece can be reduced by this reduced elevation difference. Therefore, the terminal fitting advantageously can be miniaturized with respect to both forward and backward directions and a height direction.
The resilient contact piece extends substantially along forward and backward directions and is surrounded by a substantially rectangular tube. The male tab can be inserted into the rectangular tube from the front and is held resiliently between a first plate of the substantially rectangular tube and the resilient contact piece.
The folded portion preferably is folded closely.
The first leaf spring preferably extends substantially forward and the male tab contacts the extending end of the first leaf spring. This contact position of the resilient contact piece with the male tab is near the front end. Thus, the length of the male tab can be shortened accordingly.
The folded portion preferably extends oblique to an inserting direction of the male tab. Thus, the leading end of the male tab is guided to a proper contact position by the inclination of the closely folded portion.
The base end of the first leaf spring preferably extends at an angle from a side plate of the substantially rectangular tube that is not connected with the base plate, and a locking edge is formed at a lateral edge of the base end of the first leaf spring.
A locking plate preferably extends at an angle from a lateral edge of the base plate that faces and is substantially parallel to the side plate. The locking plate is substantially continuous with the lateral edge of the base plate.
The locking plate preferably has a locking hole that engages the locking edge to prevent the base end of the first leaf spring from being lifted.
The base plate preferably is formed with a raised portion, and the outer surface of the base end of the first leaf spring portion preferably is held substantially in contact with the raised portion.
The base end of the first leaf spring is prevented from vertically shaking by being brought into contact with the raised portion of the bottom plate and having the locking edge thereof engaged with the locking hole.
The base end of the first leaf spring preferably contact the raised portion on the bottom plate. Thus, the locking edge and the upper edge of the locking hole are higher than the bottom plate. Accordingly, the locking edge and the locking hole engage each other on a flat part of the locking plate above the quadrantal section that defines a boundary between the bottom plate and the locking plate. Thus, even if the locking edge and the locking hole are engaged over a distance equal to the thickness of the locking plate, the locking edge does not bulge out from the outer surface of the locking plate.
The base plate may be formed with a fastening hole engageable with a resin lock in a housing to prevent the terminal fitting from coming out when the terminal fitting is inserted into the housing.
The extending end of the second leaf spring engages a resin lock in a housing when the resilient contact piece is in contact with the male tab to prevent the terminal fitting from coming out. Thus, an area of engagement of the resin lock with the terminal fitting is wider than a case where a resin lock engages only a fastening hole. Therefore, an external force on the terminal fitting in withdrawing direction is dispersed across the resin lock.
The resilient contact piece preferably comprises a guiding surface for guiding a contact of the resilient contact piece with the male tab.
These and other objects, features and advantages of the invention will become more apparent upon reading the following detailed description and accompanying drawings. Even though embodiments are described separately, single features may be combined to additional embodiments.